Wheel cradle



Oct. 11, 1949. w. B. SMITH 2,484,534

WHEEL CRADLE Filed Feb. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 75 H Ill I 11 mm tor 4/17/41, 5 sm'z/a,

Oct. 11, 1949. w. B. SMITH 2,484,534

WHEEL CRADLE Filed Feb. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J? 7/ 7z I I F1 E. E

lnventur Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT oF- icaj BI Smith, Lawrehceville, Ill.

This invention relates to garage equipment and has for its object to provide a cradle for moving and adjusting atruck, bus or other car wheel to position to slip on its axle,

Another object of the invention is to provide a cradle having rollers for supporting a wheel and means for vertical adjustment of the rollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Windlass-operated wheel lifting device.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my cradle.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

Figure 3 is a detail of a cable connection,

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the cradle,

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of a windlass control,

Figure 6 is a detail view of a crank and universal joint connection thereof, and

Figure '7 is a sectional detail of a windlass bearing;

In the accompanying drawings as above enumerated and in the following specification, like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout and in which 49, refers to my cradle as a whole, and which consists of a pair of spaced apart parallel frame members II and I2, connected by cross braces l3, l4, I6 and I6, and to each end H and l8, l9 and 29, of the members II and I2, respectively are attached bearings cylinders 2|, 22, etc.,-for the spindles of the caster wheels 23, 24, 25, etc., which spindles are preferably mounted in roller bearings (not shown). The upper edges 26 and 21, of said frame members II and I2, are arcuately concaved for the better part of their length and bearings 28 are provided in the center of each member for supporting a shaft 29, upon which is keyed a winding drum 39. This winding drum tapers in from both ends 3| and 32, to its center 33, and to which center is fixed the inner ends of a pair of cables 34 and 35, the outer ends 36 and 31, respectively of which are secured to the eyes 38 and 39, of pull members 49 and 4|. The member .49, is pivotally mounted in the outer terminals 42 and 43, of links 44 and 45, the inner ends 46 and 41, of which are pivotally connected to the outer ends 48 and 49, of longer links 59 and 5|, the inner terminals 52 and 53, of which later links are pivoted upon the shaft 29. Also pivoted to shaft 29, are the inner ends 54 and 55, of the said arms 98 and 61, (of the same length as arms 48 and 9|,l and their 2 Claims, (01. 254-4) 1 outer ends 58 and 59, are pivoted to the spindles 69 and 6|, of a roller 62, of thesame contour as the winding drum 39. The said spindles 99 and 6|, are the terminals of a shaft 63, upon which the roller 62, is rotatably mounted. To the same ends 69 and GI, of shaft 63, are pivoted the inner ends 64 and 65, of the short arms 66 and 61, the outer ends 68 and 69, of which are pivotally connected to the spindles 19 and 1|, of the pull member 4|. The arms '66 and 61, are of the same length a arms 44 and 45.

The shaft 12, to which the terminals 46, 41, 48 and 49, are pivoted, has rotatably mounted thereon a roller 13, of the same contour as that of the winding drum 39, and roller 62.

The spindles 14 and 15, of member 49, to which the members 42 and 43, are pivoted also pivotally support the outer terminals 16 and 11, of .links 19 and 19, the lower or inner ends 89 and 8|, of which arepivotally mounted upon a shaft 82, carried by the members H and I2, I The spindles 19 and 1|, pivotally support the outer ends 82 and 83, of links 84, pivoted to the shaft 85, supported by the ends I1 and I9, of the members H and I2.

The shaft 29, has keyed to itsend as, a ratchet wheel 86, engageable by a pawl 81, pivoted at 88, which is gravity actuated. Fixed to the extreme outer end, of shaft extension 85, is an universal joint 89, the member 99, of'which has pivotally connected thereto, by a pin 9|, the bifurcated end 92, of a crank 93, on the terminal 94, of which is rotatably supported a handle 95.

In operation a wheel is seated upon the winding drum 39, and between the two rollers 62 and 13, then the crank 93, is turned until the p riphery of the wheel or its tire is firmly gripped by the said rollers; the cradle is then moved to the car upon which the wheel is to be attached and in position for such attachment, then the crank is again turned to either raise or lower the wheel to bring its hub into exact alignment with the axle on which it is to be mounted, the pawl 81.," acting upon the ratchet 86, will hold the cables and .the members controlled thereby to keep the wheel in said aligning position supported by saidrollers 62 and 13; then the cradle is moved in until the wheel hub is seated upon the car axle, the crank 93, is again operated to release the wheel, the said rollers dropping their grip upon the wheel through gravity; the cradle is removed and the wheel bolted in place.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within,

support is mounted.

the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now described my invention that which 1 I claim as new and desire to procure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wheel supporting cradle comprising a support including a pair of rollers between which a wheel' may be supported, and a winding drum upon which the wheelmay seat, means connected with the winding -drum for drawing the rollers against the periphery of the wheel including a 3 series of pivotall connected link arms supporting the rollers, pull members connected to certain of said arms forming pivots therefor. cables connecting said pull members to the winding drum, means for holding the winding drum against movement, and casters upon which the 2. A cradle including a frame, a shaft extending transversely across the center thereof, a winding drum disposed on said shaft, arms pivoted to said shaft. rollers carried by said arms and means for pivotally actuating said rollers and arms, said means comprising pull members hav-- in; connection with said arms, and cables conmeeting said pull members and said winding drum.

WILLIAM B. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The fi'ollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

